Can You Drive Without a Tail Light Cover?

Your car’s rear lights are critical to your safety on the road. In the dark, tail lights let you see well on the road. On any terrain, tail lights play an essential part in steering your vehicle.

Can you drive without a tail light cover? Okay, here is your answer:

No! It’s illegal to drive without a tail light cover. If your taillight bulb breaks, you can’t go back on the road until you get a new one. Fortunately, it should be simple to get to because the cover is shattered. The cost of replacing a tail light bulb is about $20. 

The cost of a replacement tail light assembly at a dealership or auto body shop can range from $200 to $2000 per unit.

Let’s identify more!

Can I Drive without a Tail Light Cover?

As you can see in our introduction, it is illegal to drive without a tail light cover.

It is against the law to operate a vehicle with a broken tail light. Two functional tail lights are a legal requirement for all vehicles. Additional requirements include having clean tail light lenses.

Additionally, they must be genuine parts from the vehicle’s original manufacturer and decent shape.

Illegally, dark lenses or bulbs that reduce the light output of tail lights are prohibited. Use only bulbs recommended by the Department of Transportation for taillights.

The tail light fix may be done in minutes or hours, depending on how much work is done.

There is no other option than to change out the taillights if you can afford them. You can repair any chips or cracks.

The Lifespan of Tail Light Covers

The tail light cover on your automobile is quite crucial in terms of safeguarding the region around the tail lights. It looks terrific since it’s made of high-quality, durable acrylic.

Material of this kind can survive the daily abuse that your automobile receives from the sun, snow, and other elements.

The high-quality material utilized in constructing the tail light cover might extend its service life by two to three years. 

Here are some of the durable tail light covers in 2022:

1. RT-TCZ Metal Tail Light Guards Covers
2. ZMAUTOPARTS Tail Brake Light Covers
3. Steelcraft 30210 Tail Light Guard

Replacement of the Tail Light Cover

Despite the fact that a tail light cover has a longer lifespan, it is nevertheless susceptible to certain types of damage. 

Accidents, low-speed collisions, and parking miscalculations are examples of situations that might cause this device to fail. You must now replace the cover with a newer one.

Tail light covers can potentially shatter due to significant breaks in the vehicle’s body. All of these scenarios necessitate the urgent replacement of a tail light. 

You will expose your tail lights to moisture, filth, and mud if you ignore the harm caused by this cover. 

Tail light covers of excellent quality are readily available nowadays, and they may be purchased at reasonable costs.

As a result, if you are looking forward to updating this attachment, you may do so at any time without waiting for it to become obsolete. 

We recommend that you select a tail lamp cover that complements your car’s overall appearance and style.

Key Features to Look for In a Tail light Cover

To choose the best tail light cover, you need to know what to look for in the product. If you’re looking for the best tail light covers, check out the following shopping tips.

Durability:

When selecting a tail light cover, durability should be your priority. Selecting materials that are readily scratched or broken is a bad idea. Make sure the components and general content of the product are in order.

Coating:

Corrosion is more likely to occur if your tail lamp cover is frequently exposed to elements such as UV rays, rain, and snow. To have a longer lifespan, the coating on the tail light cover needs to be corrosion-resistance.

Fit:

Purchase an easy-to-install tail light cover for your vehicle. Selecting the correct size for this item is critical because it is not standard. Additionally, the tail light cover should not cost you a fortune to install.

Price:

Depending on the manufacturer and model, a tail light cover cost might vary considerably. Select a budget-friendly prospect.

What Causes A Tail Light To Stop Working?

The following are common causes of broken tail lights:

Defective Fuse:

Fuse boxes are either in the front passenger seat or beneath the hood. Fuse boxes control your car’s electrical systems.

If your tail light isn’t working, check the fuse box—the owner’s manual lists the fuse box and tail light fuse positions.

A fuse tester can test the tail light fuse. Before changing a fuse, check sure the amperage is the same.

Bulb Burns Out:

A tail light bulb might burn out after a long time. You may check the tail light bulb’s filament for accuracy.

A broken filament necessitates a replacement bulb.

Socket No Longer Works:

Sometimes tail light sockets fail. Toxic accumulation in the socket might cause this. A bad socket-to-bulb connection may also create this issue.

Look for any discoloration or injury to the socket when analyzing it. If the socket is blue, brown, or white, or if the pins are twisted or damaged, it must be replaced immediately.

A multimeter may also measure current. You may test the socket’s pins with a multimeter.

Finding the source of a broken tail light might be frustrating. A certified specialist should repair broken tail lights.

This way, you can get an inspection, find out what’s wrong, and fix or replace your broken tail light.

Final Verdict

Repairing or replacing a damaged tail light isn’t something that should be left up to chance. Inspect your tail lights periodically and repair any issues. Don’t try to drive your car without a tail light cover.